How Financial Aid for Joint Degree Programs Works

Financial Aid for Joint Degree Programs: Cheat Sheet

Stuff you need to know:

An increasing number of colleges and universities offer joint degree programs, usually at the graduate level, which offer students a chance to combine studies in two complementary fields, such as engineering and business administration.

While joint degree programs are a great way to prepare for a job in a cutting-edge field, there's a catch: They're more expensive, and lining up financing for them tends to be much more complicated than it is for conventional single-degree programs.

Most joint-degree students will need to rely upon both federal student aid and assistance from the school or schools where they're accepted.

Financing is even more complex when a student gets a joint degree from two different universities, since that usually necessitates applying to both for aid.